addlers five,
loggerhead
W turtle hatch
lings head for the
Atlantic Ocean near
FortPierce,Florida,
when the sand cools
atdusk. Researchers
have believed thatthe
brighterarea toward the
sea attractsthe hatch
lings. New evidence
suggests thatthe turtles
actuallycrawl away
from the dark silhou
ettes of dunes and
beach vegetation, a
move thatputs them on
course for the surf line.
Once in the water
they swim directlyinto
the waves, the shortest
route to deeper water,
where the hatchlings
may swim for havens in
beds of sargassum.